What To Do After A Break-in At Your Joliet Home?
It’s every resident’s nightmare. You arrive home to see your front door has been kicked in or a window broken. You can hardly process what’s happened, worrying about what’s been stolen and the harm done to your house. What can you do? Remain calm, take a deep breath, and follow these steps after a break-in at your Joliet home.
Once things are under control, see how to better prevent intrusions with a modern security system.
Initial Steps After A Burglary
Finding your house has been burglarized is unsettling. You might be furious, scared, or just in disbelief. Whatever you’re feeling, it’s essential to stay level-headed by doing the following:
- Don’t go inside. It’s not surprising that you want to go inside to see what happened. Don’t. There’s a possibility an intruder is still inside.
- Call the authorities right away. Keep yourself and others at a safe spot nearby and wait for emergency professionals. Work with the police to file a report.
- Avoid touching anything. Let the police secure the premises and do their job.
What Are The Next Steps?
You’ve conversed with law enforcement, and your home is safe to re-enter. What should you do next?
- Notify your bank and credit card companies . If a thief snagged sensitive documents, purses, or wallets, you must alert your credit card companies and banks at once. It’s wise to put a hold on accounts and your credit. You can also add a fraud alert with credit bureaus.
- Call your insurance provider. Initiate a claim with your insurance provider. You should do so within one day of the break-in.
- Take photos of the damage. Document broken windows, kicked-in doors, and anything else that’s been damaged.
- Inventory stolen goods. Write down what’s missing and provide it to law enforcement and your Insurer.
- Secure your house. Get your home secured by replacing locks, fixing doors and windows, and taking care of other damage. If you have a keypad lock, now is the time to reset your access codes.
Getting your home back in order will do wonders for your stress and make things feel normal. After you’re done, it’s time to start thinking upgrading your home security.
Assess And Improve The Security At Your Joliet Home
How can you keep this from occuring again? Your starting point should be to assess your home security. A new system with the following equipment will work wonders in keeping your home safe:
- Surveillance cameras: Nearly every trespasser will hesitate when they observe video cameras. Modern outdoor and doorbell cameras offer advanced features like AI-powered smart detection. Any time there’s unusual activity, you’ll receive a warning.
- Entry-point sensors: All doors and windows (especially those on the ground floor) should be safeguarded by glass-break or contact sensors.
- Smart locks and lighting: These automated tools can be controlled from anywhere. Are you worried you forgot to lock up? You can confirm and engage the lock directly from your smartphone. You can even have inside lights turn on if a camera discovers someone lurking.
If you want an integrated system that notifies you and monitoring agents any time a device is triggered, look into a package from the home security specialists at ADT. You’ll benefit from mobile access, 24/7 monitoring, and convenient automation.
Avoid Break-Ins With The Best Home Security In Joliet
Stop burglaries before they happen with an ADT home security system in Joliet from Secure24 Alarm Systems. As your authorized ADT dealer, we install modern equipment from the most respected name in the business. Explore your options by calling (815) 242-2890 or submitting our form today.